RelationshipOps of the Week #11.
Sales Consulting Firm
|
Jan 2, 2026
“Inviting Vanessa to join our team was one of the best biz dev decisions we could have ever made.”
Stephen Woessner.
As the founder and CEO of Predictive ROI, Stephen Woessner has spent over a decade helping agencies and consultants create authority and drive measurable outcomes from their content.
If you’re interested in learning more about his work, check out his website.
Because in this article, he’s not going to talk about sales frameworks or funnels. Instead, he’s here with us because he’s been on both sides of the sales conversation.
From consulting service firms to hiring and training his own high-performing team, Stephen’s track record shows how relationship-building fuels not just trust but transformation.
That includes how he connects, mentors, and develops his people… and how a single connection eventually turned into one of the most valuable hires his firm has ever made.
So if you’re someone who believes business development should feel more like a conversation than a pitch… or someone who wonders what real relationship capital looks like when ROI is on the line…
… Stephen brings a unique perspective worth listening to.
With no more delay, let’s jump into what he shared with us.
One of the Best Biz Dev Decisions.
Leonard Chin: What’s an instance when a relationship led to a big win or a really great opportunity for your business?
Stephen Woessner:
“In mid-2020, I was introduced to the salesperson representing a company that wanted to sell professional services to Predictive. I met with her, was blown away by her delivery, the questions she asked, and how she orchestrated every detail of the discussion. The session never felt like a pitch or a sales presentation. Quite the opposite. And at the end, she "invited" Predictive to join the program, which we enthusiastically did. And over the last five years, she and I stayed in touch periodically. I would share an update on where Predictive was, how we were growing, the current challenges we were working to solve, etc., but I always had the goal of hopefully attracting her into our business and joining our team. Earlier this year, we had put enough things into place that she joined our team. As a result, we've improved our sales process, delivery, increased our fees, and provided our prospective clients with an even smoother path to becoming a Predictive client. Inviting Vanessa to join our team was one of the best biz dev decisions we could have ever made.”
Mentorship Tuesday.
Leonard Chin: What's your daily/weekly routine for maintaining relationships that help your business?
Stephen Woessner:
“Here at Predictive, we have what we call "Mentorship Tuesday," where I meet one-on-one for 60 minutes with each of my direct reports. We talk about their wins, losses, what they learned in the last week, and what challenges they might be facing in the coming week. We also check in on their 5-year Career Path to ensure we are on track with their professional development goals, and we identify any ways I can be helpful. And it may surprise someone to learn that I rarely need to step into a mentorship with a need to hold someone accountable for a misstep. Inevitably -- they beat me to the punch and proactively address it. Mentorship Tuesday has become one of my favorite days on the calendar. What a blessing that is.”
Help Others Win.
Leonard Chin: What tips would you give to your younger self around relationships and how they impact business?
Stephen Woessner:
“Transparency matters. Seek first to understand and then to be understood. Always add value. Put yourself out there even though it makes you vulnerable. And be a great connector. The person who brings people together, makes introductions, edifies others publicly, and champions the team... is the one who wins, because that person first helped others win.”
Key Takeaways.
Stephen Woessner is the only one so far who shared about building relationships with his team when it comes to the second question. It might be because of the nature of his firm.
But I believe apart from clients, prospects, and connectors, employees can significantly influence a firm’s growth.
Think about it…
Would you ever want someone with bad employee relationships to handle an ad account that spends $100k+ every month? I doubt so.
That’s why job search platforms like Glassdoor and Indeed play a huge role in influencing buyers’ decisions as well.
All in all, we thank Stephen Woessner for coming onboard with us this week to share his thoughts on leveraging existing relationships. And here are the few key takeaways that you might want to zoom in on…
Play the long game. A genuine connection developed over years led to Predictive ROI’s most impactful sales hire, transforming both process and client experience.
Invest in your team. Weekly one-on-ones called “Mentorship Tuesday” keep Stephen aligned with his team’s growth, goals, and challenges.
Lead with generosity. Transparency, curiosity, and putting others first are at the core of how Stephen builds relationships that actually move the business forward.
That’s all for now.
If you're open to sharing your experiences in one of our future articles… or know of someone who is, feel free to drop me an email here.
Author.
Leonard Chin
Follow me on LinkedIn.
Stephen Woessner.
As the founder and CEO of Predictive ROI, Stephen Woessner has spent over a decade helping agencies and consultants create authority and drive measurable outcomes from their content.
If you’re interested in learning more about his work, check out his website.
Because in this article, he’s not going to talk about sales frameworks or funnels. Instead, he’s here with us because he’s been on both sides of the sales conversation.
From consulting service firms to hiring and training his own high-performing team, Stephen’s track record shows how relationship-building fuels not just trust but transformation.
That includes how he connects, mentors, and develops his people… and how a single connection eventually turned into one of the most valuable hires his firm has ever made.
So if you’re someone who believes business development should feel more like a conversation than a pitch… or someone who wonders what real relationship capital looks like when ROI is on the line…
… Stephen brings a unique perspective worth listening to.
With no more delay, let’s jump into what he shared with us.
One of the Best Biz Dev Decisions.
Leonard Chin: What’s an instance when a relationship led to a big win or a really great opportunity for your business?
Stephen Woessner:
“In mid-2020, I was introduced to the salesperson representing a company that wanted to sell professional services to Predictive. I met with her, was blown away by her delivery, the questions she asked, and how she orchestrated every detail of the discussion. The session never felt like a pitch or a sales presentation. Quite the opposite. And at the end, she "invited" Predictive to join the program, which we enthusiastically did. And over the last five years, she and I stayed in touch periodically. I would share an update on where Predictive was, how we were growing, the current challenges we were working to solve, etc., but I always had the goal of hopefully attracting her into our business and joining our team. Earlier this year, we had put enough things into place that she joined our team. As a result, we've improved our sales process, delivery, increased our fees, and provided our prospective clients with an even smoother path to becoming a Predictive client. Inviting Vanessa to join our team was one of the best biz dev decisions we could have ever made.”
Mentorship Tuesday.
Leonard Chin: What's your daily/weekly routine for maintaining relationships that help your business?
Stephen Woessner:
“Here at Predictive, we have what we call "Mentorship Tuesday," where I meet one-on-one for 60 minutes with each of my direct reports. We talk about their wins, losses, what they learned in the last week, and what challenges they might be facing in the coming week. We also check in on their 5-year Career Path to ensure we are on track with their professional development goals, and we identify any ways I can be helpful. And it may surprise someone to learn that I rarely need to step into a mentorship with a need to hold someone accountable for a misstep. Inevitably -- they beat me to the punch and proactively address it. Mentorship Tuesday has become one of my favorite days on the calendar. What a blessing that is.”
Help Others Win.
Leonard Chin: What tips would you give to your younger self around relationships and how they impact business?
Stephen Woessner:
“Transparency matters. Seek first to understand and then to be understood. Always add value. Put yourself out there even though it makes you vulnerable. And be a great connector. The person who brings people together, makes introductions, edifies others publicly, and champions the team... is the one who wins, because that person first helped others win.”
Key Takeaways.
Stephen Woessner is the only one so far who shared about building relationships with his team when it comes to the second question. It might be because of the nature of his firm.
But I believe apart from clients, prospects, and connectors, employees can significantly influence a firm’s growth.
Think about it…
Would you ever want someone with bad employee relationships to handle an ad account that spends $100k+ every month? I doubt so.
That’s why job search platforms like Glassdoor and Indeed play a huge role in influencing buyers’ decisions as well.
All in all, we thank Stephen Woessner for coming onboard with us this week to share his thoughts on leveraging existing relationships. And here are the few key takeaways that you might want to zoom in on…
Play the long game. A genuine connection developed over years led to Predictive ROI’s most impactful sales hire, transforming both process and client experience.
Invest in your team. Weekly one-on-ones called “Mentorship Tuesday” keep Stephen aligned with his team’s growth, goals, and challenges.
Lead with generosity. Transparency, curiosity, and putting others first are at the core of how Stephen builds relationships that actually move the business forward.
That’s all for now.
If you're open to sharing your experiences in one of our future articles… or know of someone who is, feel free to drop me an email here.
Author.
Leonard Chin
Follow me on LinkedIn.